Ricci pasta with rocket & sausage meat

It’s much more likely you’ll be tempted to make the sugo (sauce) that goes with the ricci pasta featured here. This fresh and easy sauce will also pair brilliantly with dried pasta; choose a spiral shape like fusilli or riccioli.

First skin the fresh tomatoes. Pour boiling water into a bowl. Nick the tomatoes in several places and place them in the bowl for around 30 seconds. Remove with a slatted spoon and use a small vegetable knife to peel away the skins (it should be easy). Chop up the tomatoes, keeping the juice.

Bring a large saucepan to the boil. Add a good teaspoon of salt and bring it back to the boil. While this is happening, make the sauce.

Heat a slug of olive oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat, the fry the garlic until it’s soft but not caramelised. This will only take a minute or so. Strip the skin off the sausages, crumble the meat and, one in the pan, continue breaking the lumps down with a wooden spoon. Fry until coloured before adding the fresh tomatoes. It’s likely the sausage meat has enough salt and pepper, but check the seasoning.

Add the pasta to the saucepan and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cooking times.

The sausage sauce only needs about 10 minutes cooking and it’s up to you how much you like your tomatoes reduced. But once it’s done to your taste, keep back some rocket to add to each plate, and stir the rest through the sausage mixture.

Combine the pasta and the sauce (either in the sauté pan or in a serving dish). Add some rocket leaves to 4 pasta bowls, and ladle a serving on top. Sprinkle with some parmigniano cheese and eat immediately.